A study published by PhD candidate, Simran Sandhu, has explored the emotional factors influencing migrant access to emergency healthcare.
“Overcrowding in emergency departments is linked to poorer patient outcomes, prolonged stays and serious clinical consequences,” she explains.
The healthcare behaviour of migrants can contribute to this strain. For example, migrants are 22 per cent less likely to call an ambulance promptly, while some people present with non-urgent conditions.
Simran’s research, which focused on Indian migrants, found that avoidance of emergency planning was not due to low health literacy, but rather a culturally shaped and “morally purposeful” way of managing fear and uncertainty.
“Participants often relied on fatalistic beliefs, spirituality and deliberate positivity to cope, showing that emotional regulation is deeply connected to culture and social context,” she says.
The study also found that ambulances carried strong emotional associations with crisis, often shaped by past experiences in India.
Simran says the findings challenge approaches that focus solely on information or health literacy interventions.
“We must move beyond correcting individual behaviour and toward redesigning systems with cultural humility and emotional awareness at their centre.”
